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THE 1970s

A resurgence in popularity was eventually accompanied by a fresh wave of merchandising. The Doctor Who toys issued in the 1970s included a few old favourites, alongside some innovative new items.

FEATURE BY DAVID J HOWE

This 100-piece jigsaw originally cost 20p and was first issued by Michael Stanfield Holdings in 1971.

Doctor Who began the 1970s with its first colour episodes and a new leading man in Jon Pertwee.

The series hit the ground running, but the merchandise was a little slow to recover from its late 1960s doldrums.

In 1970, for example, there was nothing new on offer except a Doctor Who Annual, and throughout the Pertwee era there was precious little in the way of toys and games. In fact, the main attractions were jigsaws. In 1971 two such items were released by Michael Stanfield Holdings. These were oblong in format and featured publicity images of the Doctor in his trusty conveyance, Bessie, and also in the UNIT laboratory (the latter being a still from 1971’s first story, Terror of the Autons). More Michael Stanfield jigsaws followed in 1972 (this time including publicity shots from that year’s Day of the Daleks), then in 1973 came a set from Whitman. These were photographic too, with four to choose from: Pertwee and Patrick Troughton in The Three Doctors (1972-73), Pertwee’s Doctor at a desk in The Green Death (1973), the Doctor with Daleks and Ogrons from Day of the Daleks, and the Doctor holding a mushroom – from, again, The Green Death.

About Doctor Who Magazine

In 1964 Dalekmania led to the birth of Doctor Who licensing, and it’s been with us ever since. The return of the series in 2005 prompted an even bigger range of merchandise, which this time invaded supermarkets as well as toy shops. In 2017 the popularity, and ingenuity, of these products continues unabated. This is the surprising story of Doctor Who toys and games – told by the people who make, sell and collect them.